EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN
PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (IISD)
WRITTEN AND EDITED BY:
JOHANNAH BERNSTEIN
ANILLA CHERIAN
LANGSTON JAMES GOREE VI "KIMO"
DESIREE MCGRAW
STEVE WISE .
A DAILY SUMMARY OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF
THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
8 December 1994
BIOCOP-I HIGHLIGHTS
WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER, 1994
PLENARY
The President of the Plenary, Dr. Ivy Dumont, said that the
ministers' participation is a testimony of their commitment
to implement the provisions of the Convention and sends a
strong political message.
UNEP: Elizabeth Dowdeswell, UN Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Director of UNEP, said that the ministerial
segment of the COP is of great political importance given
the significance of the Convention for sustaining human
development, preserving life and advancing the principle of
equity among nations. She said that firm and unwavering
commitment, clear policy and fast action are required, given
the threat to species and ecosystems and the necessity for
human progress. She noted that there are indications that
the Earth is on the verge of an unprecedented wave of
species extinction, one that would be unequaled in its
scope, human cause and impact. She called for a dual
contract: first, between humankind and the Earth; and
secondly, between humankind and itself, based on solidarity,
mutual reliance and equity.
CSD: Dr. K. Topfer (Germany), Chair of the CSD, said that
the COP is an important event, especially for the CSD's
focus on cross-sectoral issues and land-use. He underlined
the need for improved land-use policies that permit
utilization of resources without destroying them for future
generations. He said that the CSD will develop indicators of
sustainability for various sectors, including agriculture
and biodiversity. He emphasized the interrelationship and
importance of work of both the COP and the CSD in all areas,
especially with regard to forests. The CSD will also address
the question of a binding instrument on biosafety.
BAHAMAS: Janet G. Bostwick, Minister for Foreign Affairs,
said that the Bahamas welcomed the priority the COP has
assigned to marine biological diversity and proposed to
explore increasing reef biomass through culture and ranching
techniques. Noting that the SIDS Programme of Action
contains essential elements of consensus, she called on the
SBSTTA to play a vital role in its implementation. She
stated that access to and transfer of technology and
capacity-building are essential. She recommended that
funding procedures under the financial mechanism be
simplified. She added that countries that have had limited
access to GEF should be given special consideration.
ALGERIA: Meziane Cherif Abderahmane, Minister of Interior
and Environment, on behalf of the G-77 and China, called
for: new and additional financial resources so that
developing countries could meet incremental costs of
conservation; technology transfer in conjunction with
capacity-building; and equitable sharing of benefits. He
noted that ecological degradation stems largely from unfair
commercial practices and irrational consumption in
industrialized countries. He further cited poverty
eradication as a priority issue and appealed to developed
countries to recycle part of the public debt - an act he
described as an outstanding testimony to universal
solidarity.
INDIA: Kamal Nath, Minister for Environment, called for
immediate resolution on the issue of biosafety and
recommended construction of adequate safeguards against
hasty experimentation and use of GMOs. He referred to the
fear that the developing world would become a playground for
GMOs and to the need for a legally binding protocol. He
presented technology transfer as two-way process - not just
the South's resources and the North's technology, but an
equal and fair exchange of the natural resources and
knowledge of the South and the technical expertise and
financial resources of the North. He emphasized the
importance of knowledge and practices of indigenous and
traditional communities. He noted the harsh fact that a
small proportion of financial benefits reaches indigenous
communities from intellectual property rights in areas such
as medicine, health care, agriculture and nutrition.
CANADA: Clifford Lincoln, Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Environment, noted that Canada was among the
first to ratify the Convention and highlighted
implementation efforts at the national level, a forest
strategy, its contribution to the GEF and the reorientation
of development assistance towards sustainable development.
He stated that the Convention has the potential to become an
important dynamic force because it goes beyond classical
notions of conservation and emphasizes innovative concepts
such as capacity-building and benefit-sharing. He issued a
special plea for the COP to consider the role of indigenous
peoples in its future work plans. He concluded that the
Convention is ultimately a question of values and of equity.
SWITZERLAND: Dr. Philippe Roch, Director of the Federal
Office of Environment and Forests, expressed dismay at the
COP's lack of reference to the potential role of the private
sector, and underscored Switzerland's plans to organize, in
conjunction with the International Academy of Environment in
Geneva, a global forum on the contribution of business to
biodiversity conservation. He applauded the COP's decision
to adopt the GEF as the financial mechanism, even if only on
an interim basis. Finally, he underscored his country's bid
to host the Secretariat. He explained that the COP would
benefit from full integration into Geneva's established
network of international organizations and permanent
missions, including a proposed "universal facility" which
would house missions of developing and smaller countries.
CHINA: Mr. Wang Yuging, Deputy Administrator of the National
Environmental Protection Agency, highlighted his country's
implementation initiatives. He called for: the integration
of conservation activities with developing countries'
policies on economic development and poverty alleviation;
technology transfers based on concessional and preferential
terms; an accelerated GEF approval process (guided by all
Parties to the COP); balanced participation of developed and
developing countries in the SBSTTA; and a medium-term work
programme, which reflects financial, technological, benefit-
sharing and clearing-house concerns.
US: Timothy H. Wirth, Assistant Secretary of State for
Global Affairs, underscored American willingness to pursue
opportunities for practical cooperation, including sharing
technology, techniques and scientific information, to meet
the goals of the Convention. He highlighted USAID's US$74
million portfolio of projects with more than 40 developing
countries as well as its International Coral Reef
Initiative. He applauded the COP's support for the
restructured GEF and explained that this decision sends the
"necessary signal" to move forward on biodiversity
initiatives. Finally, he indicated his administration's
intent to continue to seek ratification based on President
Clinton's decision to bring the US into the mainstream of
international environmental cooperation.
MALAYSIA: Law Heng Dieng, Minister of Science, Technology
and Environment, called for a new partnership between
technology rich countries and genetically rich countries. He
urged for adequate representation from developing countries
in the SBSTTA and that the clearing-house mechanism serve as
a vehicle for technology transfer. He referred to the urgent
need to examine plant genetic resources originating in
developing countries now in the possession of multinational
corporations. He also called for a legally binding biosafety
protocol.
FINLAND: Sirpa Pietikainen, Minister of Environment, noted
the need to commence work for a biosafety protocol without
delay. She said that decisions regarding the GEF should be
finalized as soon as possible so as not to jeopardize the
next replenishment. She described forests as the most
significant terrestrial ecosystems for biodiversity and said
that their conservation is a critical matter for
consideration by future COPs.
INDONESIA: Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Minister for Environment,
questioned the type of partnership on which the Convention
should be based. He called for: new and additional financial
arrangements to promote national conservation efforts;
regional cooperation among developing countries; and a
protocol on biosafety. He also addressed the issue of
national authority in determining access to genetic
resources and intellectual property rights. He endorsed the
COP's designation of the restructured GEF as the interim
financial mechanism, but cautioned that this decision should
not preclude consideration of other financial sources..
SRI LANKA: Dr. D. Nesiah, on behalf of Srimani
Athulathmudali, Minister of Transport, Environment and
Women's Affairs, stressed the need to understand the causes
that contribute to the destruction of biodiversity namely:
indiscriminate felling of primeval forests; mining of coral
reefs; overfishing; over-exploitation of economically
valuable species; and chemical pollution. He concluded by
offering Sri Lanka as a location for a future meeting of the
COP.
GHANA: Dr. Christina Amoako-Nuama, Minister of Environment,
Science and Technology, said that the spirit of partnership
is the only way forward to rectify past injustices and the
role they have played in ecological destruction. She
acknowledged that national projects must conform to national
priorities and national development strategies.
BURKINA FASO: Anatole G. Tiendrebeogo, Minister of
Environment and Tourism, spoke on behalf of the African
Group of Environment Ministers. He welcomed the selection of
UNEP for the Secretariat and noted that Africa deserves
special attention from the international community to save
its biodiversity resources. He noted that the subsidiary
bodies need the necessary level of financial resources to
begin their work as soon as possible.
MAURITIUS: Bashir Ahmed Khodabux, Minister of Environment
and Quality of Life, noted that population growth and
poverty were the most significant threats to biodiversity
and could not be contained effectively without adequate
investments and transfer of technology. He highlighted the
special needs of Africa, and the high vulnerability of SIDS.
He called for action on: a protocol on access to genetic
resources, technology transfer, farmers' and community
rights. He supported a separate fund for the Convention
distinct from that of the GEF to be placed under the control
of the COP.
NORWAY: Bernt Bull, Deputy Minister of Environment, called
for a balance between conservation, sustainable use and
innovative approaches to deal with biodiversity resources
that exist outside protected areas. He underscored the need
to reward sustainability in sectors such as agriculture. He
added that the equitable sharing of benefits among and
within countries is of utmost importance. He said that the
best scientific knowledge, as well as indigenous knowledge,
must underlie decisions and actions.
COLOMBIA: Cecilia Lopez Montan~o, Minister of Environment,
said that the Convention must take into account poverty, and
noted that some of the most biologically diverse areas are
the most under-developed. She said that development of
biotechnology can represent a high cost for developing
countries if no mechanism is established to protect the
rights and intellectual property of farmers and indigenous
peoples. She added that benefit sharing under the Convention
cannot be isolated from global processes related to
intellectual property. She expressed concern that the COP
had not financed activities related to a biosafety protocol
and hoped that the process would not be curtailed for lack
of funds.
UGANDA: Muganwa Kajura, Minister of Natural Resources, noted
that several projects aimed at the conservation of
biological diversity have been developed including, the Mt.
Elgon and the Kibale-Semliki Conservation projects and the
national wetlands programme. Regional cooperation with Kenya
and Tanzania in the GEF project on institutional support for
the protection of East African biodiversity was also
mentioned. He supported the GEF as an interim financial
mechanism.
GRENADA: The Ministerial representative from Grenada
reiterated his commitment as a SIDS to uphold the principles
of the Barbados Declaration. He said that the problems
affecting marine and terrestrial biodiversity result largely
from inappropriate land use practice and fishing methods. He
noted the importance of a technology transfer mechanism.
PHILIPPINES: Angel Alcala, Secretary of Environment and
Natural Resources, said that new and additional resources
must be provided to developing countries through a
transparent and democratic mechanism. He called for
exploration of new modalities of development assistance,
including national environmental funds. He urged for the
negotiation of a biosafety protocol for COP-II and steps to
be taken to prevent genetic piracy. He also called for
community and NGO involvement.
MONGOLIA: Dr. T. Shiirevdamba, Vice-Minister for Nature and
Environment, referred to the GEF-funded Mongolian
Biodiversity Project and cooperative agreements with the
Russian Federation and China. He referred to Mongolia's
ecological crisis and its movement towards a free-market
economy.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY
PLENARY The Ministerial Segment continues this morning at
10:00 am.
BIODIVERSITY AND DEVELOPMENT: UNDP will host a discussion on
links between biodiversity and development, from 1:00 - 2:30
pm in the Eleuthera Room, Crystal Palace Hotel. A light
lunch will be provided.
This issue of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin
is written and edited by Johannah
Bernstein, Anilla Cherian ,
Langston James Goree VI "Kimo" , Desiree
McGraw and Steve Wise
. General support for the work of the
Bulletin has been provided by the International Institute
for Sustainable Development , the
Government of Denmark and the World Bank. Specific funding
for coverage of the CBD has been provided by the Norwegian
Directorate for Nature Management, UNEP and WWF. The authors
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